ROCHESTER — Well over 150 children and their caregivers were at Rochester Common Monday morning for a parade, playing and dancing.They gathered to kick off the Week the Young Child™, a national movement aimed at focusing public attention on the needs of young children and their families and recognizing the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

“This is an event to recognize the importance of early childhood education for lifelong learning,” said organizer Christiane Casserly, of Rochester Child Care Center. “Early years are learning years.”

“I am very proud to be supporting early childhood education in the City of Rochester. As we all know, the early years are the most critical in a child’s development,” he said. “We are so fortunate to have a strong network of quality child care centers in our community. Today, we celebrate the teachers, the staff, and everyone who contributes to early childhood education in Rochester.”

The morning was all about children and the scores of young ones — mainly under six years old — were able to let loose to entertainment by musician Ryan Wilson, who works at Rochester Child Care Center. Wilson had the kids dancing and singing, while he performed in costume on the gazebo. Ice cream helped to round out the morning’s activities.

“We really appreciate the people who work in early education and the work they do,” said Casserly.

The event was canceled last year due to poor weather, but this is the fourth year Rochester has helped to celebrate the Week of the Young Child, according to Casserly.

In addition to Rochester Child Care Center, groups were present from Barrington Village School and Somersworth’s Little Hands.

The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), with nearly 80,000 members and a network of over 300 local, state, and regional affiliates. NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children’s success in school and later life.

NAEYC designates the Week of the Young Child dates and theme, but events are planned and implemented by local communities. Celebrations are organized and coordinated by regional, state, and local NAEYC affiliates, and by individual early childhood programs and community organizations providing services to young children and families.